Jose Julian Marti y Perez was born in Havana, Cuba on January 28, 1853 to a poor, immigrant, Spanish family. At the age of 16, he published a pro-independence magazine called "La Patria Libre" for which he was imprisoned and sentenced to six years hard labor. Deported 3 years later, Marti settled in Spain where he earned a degree in law and philosophy. He traveled extensively through France, Mexico and Guatemala making a living as a teacher and journalist. During exile he became famous throughout the Hispanic world for his philosophical writings, stories, poems and brilliant political essays that heralded the coming liberation of Cuba.
After a return to Cuba in 1878, Marti was again deported in 1879 for revolutionary activities, settling in New York City after a brief stay in Venezuela. Although Marti was a fervent Cuban nationalist and anti-imperialist, he was as much an offspring of the U.S. as his native Cuba. Having spent only a fraction of his life in Cuba, Marti lived in the U.S. from 1881 until 1895 where he became a prominent thinker, journalist and politician. His ideas were conditioned by the long years in North America. His most admired North Americans were Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman whom he called the poet of the people. Marti had a grasp on the ideas of Henry James, Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton and Lincoln and was thoroughly read on the works of historian William H. Prescott and George Bancroft. He admired Wendell Phillips, leading abolitionist, and was a close friend of Charles Dana, editor of the "New York Sun", in which he published frequently.
Marti wrote copiously about the land of his exile. Seventeen of his 74 volumes of written works were dedicated to the description of life in the U.S. As an international correspondent for leading South American newspapers, Marti wrote articles describing in eloquent and graphic terms that the U.S. was not an example for other countries to follow. Long before C. Wright Mills, Marti exposed the workings of an industrial-military complex active in corrupt deals between the U.S. Navy and ship builders. Marti also wrote about labor strikes, European immigrants and the Haymarket incident expressing strong sympathy for the workingman that extended to oppressed minorities in articles such as the "Negro Question" and "The American Indian". Marti also covered important events such as the Democratic and Republican national conventions and a memorial meeting of North American socialists to commemorate Karl Marx.
Marti was also an internationalist. He Believed that Cuban and Latin American sovereignty were inseparable issues. He labored for Puerto Rican independence and politically countered moves from the U.S. to dominate the newly freed Latin American countries.
To Cubans, Marti is a potent symbol of unity. He is the creator of independence, the soul of the nation, the living gospel of the homeland, the "Maestro", the "Apostle". This is why his name is so misused in the propaganda of the opponents of the Revolution. As a clear manifestation of the misinformation surrounding Cuba, the U.S. finances what it names Radio and TV Marti to encourage the overthrow of the Cuban revolutionary government. Actually, Marti warned that Cubans should not court the aid of the U.S. because that aid would endanger Cuba's sovereignty. In his last interview with the New York Herald (Bryson, Eugene, May 2, 1895), Marti voiced the conviction that those who collaborated with the U.S. government against a politically and economically free Cuba were traitors and "gusanos" (parasites) -a word used today to describe the Cuban opponents of the revolution. No one, including Fidel Castro, has ever surpassed Marti in his mistrust of the U.S. government, his criticism of life in the U.S. and his animosity toward that country's predatory foreign policy.
Cubans remember Jose Marti's courage and persistence for independence of Cuba to this day. His beliefs and writings are still followed, especially by the Cuban president Fidel Castro. Jose Marti was a key figure to the victory of independence for Cuba. Jose Marti is not just a speaker and writer of Cuba and its independence, he is an immortal hero of all people struggling for freedom.
Túpac Amaru II (March 19, 1742 Peru – May 18 1781) — born José Gabriel Condorcanqui — was the leader of an indigenous uprising in 1780 against the Spaniards in colonial Peru. Although unsuccessful, he later became a mythical figure in the Peruvian struggle for independence and indigenous rights movement and an inspiration to a myriad of causes in Peru.
The great-grandson of the last Incan leader Túpac Amaru, José Gabriel Condorcanqui was born in Tinta, in the province of Cusco, and received a Jesuit education at the San Francisco de Borja School. In 1760, he married Micaela Bastidas Puyucahua.
Condorcanqui inherited the caciqueship of Tungasuca and Pampamarca from his older brother, governing on behalf of the Spanish governor. But he sympathized with the plight of the native people and petitioned the Spanish government to improve conditions in the textile mills, the mines, and the villages. Unsuccessful, he adopted his great-grandfather's Incan name and a more native style of dress, and organized a rebellion, seizing and executing governor Antonio de Arriaga of Tinta in 1780.
Túpac Amaru II's rebellion was the first major uprising against the Spanish colonists in two centuries. It was suppressed and he was captured. He was sentenced to witness the execution of his wife, his eldest son Hipólito, his uncle Francisco, his brother-in-law Antonio Bastidas, and some of his captains before his own death. He was sentenced to be tortured and put to death by being drawn and quartered on the main plaza in Cuzco, in the same place his great-grandfather had been beheaded.
Túpac Amaru II (José Gabriel Condorcanqui) was put to death by being drawn and quartered
When the revolt continued, the Spaniards executed the remainder of his family, except his 11-year-old son Fernando, who had been condemned to die with him, but was instead imprisoned in Spain for the rest of his life. It is not known if any members of the Inca royal family survived this final purge. At the same time, Incan clothing and cultural traditions, and self-identification as "Inca" were outlawed, along with other measures to convert the population to Spanish culture and government
Interesting Fact:Hip Hop Rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur was named after Tupac Amaru II. In his own right, Tupac Shakur was a modern day revolutionary who spoke about societal and minority injustices through his music and speeches.
"I'm not saying I'm gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world."
- Tupac Amaru Shakur
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar was born in Caracas on July 24, 1783, to don Juan Vicente Bolívar y Ponte and doña Maria de la Concepción Palacios y Blanco. An aristocrat by birth, Simón Bolívar received an excellent education from his tutors, especially Simón Rodríguez. Thanks to his tutors, Bolívar became familiar with the works of the Enlightenment as well as those of classical Greece and Rome.
By the age of nine, however, Bolívar lost both his parents and was left in the care of his uncle, don Carlos Palacios. At the age of fifteen, don Carlos Palacios sent him to Spain to continue his education.
Bolívar left for Spain in 1799 with his friend, Esteban Escobar. En route, he stopped in Mexico City where he met with the viceroy of New Spain who was was alarmed with the young Bolívar argued with confidence on behalf of Spanish American independence. Bolívar arrived in Madrid on June of that same year and stayed with his uncle, Esteban Palacios.
In Spain, Bolívar met Maria Teresa Rodríguez del Toro y Alaysa whom he married soon afterwards in 1802. Shortly after returning to Venezuela, in 1803, Maria Teresa died of yellow fever. Her death greatly affected Bolívar and he vowed never to marry again. A vow which he kept for the rest of his life.
After losing his wife, Bolívar returned to Spain with his tutor and friend, Simón Rodríguez, in 1804. While in Europe he witnessed the proclamation of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor of France and later the coronation of Napoleon as King of Italy in Milan. Bolívar lost respect for Napoleon whom he considered to have betrayed the republican ideals. But it was in while in Italy that Bolívar made his famous vow atop Mount Aventin of Rome to never rest until America was free.
Bolívar returned to Venezuela in 1807 after a brief visit to the United States. In 1808 Napoleon installed his brother, Joseph, as King of Spain. This launched a great popular revolt in Spain known as the Peninsular War. In America, as in Spain, regional juntas were formed to resist the new king. Unlike the Spanish junts, however, the American juntas fought against the power of the Spanish king, not only the person of Joseph Bonaparte.
That year, the Caracas junta declared its independence from Spain and Bolívar was sent to England along with Andrés Bello and Luis López Mendez on a diplomatic mission. Bolívar returned to Venezuela on June 3, 1811, and delivered his discourse in favor of independence to the Patriotic Society. On August 13 patriot forces under the command of Francisco de Miranda won a victory in Valencia.
On July 24, 1812, Miranda surrendered after several military setbacks and Bolívar soon had to flee to Cartagena. From there, Bolívar wrote his famous Cartagena Manifesto in which he argued that New Granda should help liberate Venezuela because their cause was the same and Venezuela's freedom would secure that of New Granada. Bolívar received assistance from New Granada and in 1813 he invaded Venezuela. He entered Merida on May 23 and was proclaimed "Libertador" by the people. On June 8 Bolívar proclaimed the "war to the death" in favor of liberty. Bolívar captured Caracas on August 6 and two days later proclaimed the second Venezuelan republic.
After several battles, Bolívar had to flee once more and in 1815 he took refuge in Jamaica from where he wrote his Jamaica Letter. That same year, Bolívar traveled to Haiti and petitioned its president, Alexander Sabes Petión, to help the Spanish American cause. In 1817, with Haitian help, Bolívar returned to the continent to continue fighting.
The Battle of Boyaca of August 7, 1819 resulted in a great victory for Bolívar and the army of the revolution. That year, Bolívar created the Angostura Congress which founded Gran Colombia (a federation of present-day Venezueal, Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador) which named Bolívar president. Royalist opposition was eliminated during the following years. After the victory of Antonio José de Sucre over the Spanish forces at the Battle of Pichincha on May 23, 1822, all of northern South America was liberated. With that great victory, Bolívar prepared to march with his army across the Andes and liberate Peru.
On July 26, 1822, Bolívar met with José de San Martín at Guayaquil to discuss the strategy for the liberation of Peru. No one knows what took place in the secret meeting between the two South American heroes, but San Martín returned to Argentina while Bolívar prepared to fight against last Spanish bastion in South America.
In 1823 Bolívar took command of the invasion of Peru and in September arrived in Lima with Sucre to plan the attack. On August 6, 1824, Bolívar and Sucre jointly defeated the Spanish army in the Battle of Junín. On December 9 Sucre destroyed the last remnant of the Spanish army in the Battle of Ayacucho, eliminating Spain's presence in South America.
On August 6, 1825, Sucre called the Congress of Upper Peru which created the Republic of Bolivia in honor of Bolívar. The Bolivian Constitution of 1826, while never enacted, was personally written by Bolívar. Also in 1826, Bolívar called the Congress of Panama, the first hemispheric conference.
But by 1827, due to personal rivalries among the generals of the revolution, civil wars exploded which destroyed the South American unity for which Bolívar had fought. Surrounded by factional fighting and suffering from tuberculosis, El Libertador Simón Bolívar died on December 17, 1830.
Cesar Estrada Chavez was born March 31, 1927 near Yuma, Arizona. Chavez was named after his grandfather, who escaped from slavery on a Mexican ranch and arrived in Arizona during the 1880s. Chavez' grandparents homesteaded more than one hundred acres in the Gila Valley and raised 14 children. Chavez' father, Librado, started his family in 1924 when he married Juana Estrada. Cesar was the second of their six children. Librado worked on the family ranch and owned a store in the Gila Valley. The family lived in an apartment above the store.
Chavez began school at age 7, but he found it difficult because his family spoke only Spanish. Chavez preferred to learn from his uncles and grandparents, who would read to him in Spanish. In addition, Chavez learned many things from his mother. She believed violence and selfishness were wrong, and she taught these lessons to her children.
In the 1930s, Chavez' father lost his business because of the Great Depression, and the family moved back to the ranch. However in 1937, a severe drought forced the family to give up the ranch. The next year, Chavez and his family packed their belongings and headed to California in search of work. In California, the Chavez family became part of the migrant community, traveling from farm to farm to pick fruits and vegetables during the harvest. They lived in numerous migrant camps and often were forced to sleep in their car. Chavez sporadically attended more than 30 elementary schools, often encountering cruel discrimination.
Once Chavez completed the eighth grade, he quit school and worked full-time in the vineyards. His family was able to rent a small cottage in San Jose and make it their home. Then in 1944, Chavez joined the navy and served in World War II. After completing his duty two years later, Chavez returned to California. He married Helen Fabela in 1948, and they moved into a one-room shack in Delano. Chavez again worked in the fields, but he began to fight for change. That same year, Chavez took part in his first strike in protest of low wages and poor working conditions. However, within several days the workers were forced back to the fields.
In 1952, Chavez met Fred Ross, who was part of a group called the Community Service Organization (CSO) formed by Saul Alinsky. Chavez became part of the organization and began urging Mexican-Americans to register and vote. Chavez traveled throughout California and made speeches in support of workers' rights. He became general director of CSO in 1958.
Four years later, however, Chavez left CSO to form his own organization, which he called the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA). The name was later changed to the United Farm Workers (UFW). In 1965, Chavez and the NFWA led a strike of California grape-pickers to demand higher wages. In addition to the strike, they encouraged all Americans to boycott table grapes as a show of support. The strike lasted five years and attracted national attention. When the U.S. Senate Subcommittee looked into the situation, Robert Kennedy gave Chavez his total support.
In 1968, Chavez began a fast to call attention to the migrant workers' cause. Although his dramatic act did little to solve the immediate problems, it increased public awareness of the problem. In the late 1960s, the Teamsters attempted to take power from the UFW. After many battles, an agreement was finally reached in 1977. It gave the UFW sole right to organize field workers.
In the early 1970s, the UFW organized strikes and boycotts to get higher wages from grape and lettuce growers. During the 1980s, Chavez led a boycott to protest the use of toxic pesticides on grapes. He again fasted to draw public attention. These strikes and boycotts generally ended with the signing of bargaining agreements.
In 1976 Mexican American Richard E. Cavazos made military history by becoming the first Hispanic to attain the rank of brigadier general in the United States Army. Less than 20 years later, the native Texan would again make history by being appointed the Army's first Hispanic four-star general. It was a long way from Cavazos' days as a lieutenant with the 65th Infantry Regiment during the Korean War. The 65th, comprised mostly of soldiers from Puerto Rico, was a minority unit similar to the African-American Tuskegee Airman of World War II. The unit—called "The Borinqueneers" after an indigenous Puerto Rican Indian tribe—suffered racism and segregation away from the frontlines.
However, Cavazos rose above this racism, going on to become one of the most respected generals—Hispanic or otherwise—in the military. He also worked with military luminaries such as General Colin Powell and General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the latter of whom wrote in his autobiography, It Doesn't Take a Hero, that Cavazos was one of the finest division commanders he ever worked for.
Cavazos was born on January 31, 1929, in Kingsville, Texas, and raised on a ranch. He attended Texas Technological University, graduating with a bachelor's degree in geology in 1951. During college he was an active member of the ROTC program and through it received an officer's commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army on June 15, 1951.
Following the Korean War, Cavazos joined the 1st Armored Division as an executive officer. In 1957 he returned to his alma mater, Texas Technological University, where he worked as an ROTC instructor. His next post was in West Germany as an operations officer at the U.S. Army's European headquarters. Meanwhile Cavazos continued his military training. He attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the British Army Staff College, and the United States Armed Forces Staff College where he graduated in 1965.
By this time the Vietnam War was underway and in February of 1967, Cavazos—who had since achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel—was appointed commander of the 1st Battalion of the 18th Infantry Division. In September and October of that year, Cavazos' unit engaged in heavy sporadic fighting near the border of Cambodia culminating in a ferocious two-day assault—now known as the Battle of Loc Ninh—during which the 1st Battalion lost five soldiers.
In contrast, the enemy troops suffered over 100 deaths. For his personal actions during these battles Cavazos received his second Distinguished Service Cross. With his tour of duty in Vietnam complete, Cavazos returned stateside and resumed his peace time career path with fervor. He became the director of concept studies at the U.S. Army Combat Developments Command Institute and in 1969 completed additional military training at the Army's famed War College. His next post was from 1970 to 1971 at Kansas's Fort Leavenworth where he served as the chief of the Offense Section in the Department of Division Operations at the Army Command and General Staff College. In the early 1970s Cavazos held several positions including assistant deputy director of operations at the Pentagon, defense attaché in Mexico, and director of the Inter-American Region, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. In 1976, 25 years after receiving his military commission, Cavazos was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and pinned one gleaming star on his uniform lapel. In doing so, he became the first Hispanic general in the Army and a role model for the thousands of minority recruits who join the military each year.
Cavazos' first post after becoming a general was as assistant division commander of the 2nd Armored Division. He then assumed a larger leadership role as commander of the 2nd Brigade in the 1st Infantry Division. In 1977 he took over the top spot of the 9th Infantry Division. One of the officers in this division at that time was H. Norman Schwarzkopf who was appointed to brigadier general under Cavazos.
Cavazos' final military post was overseeing the U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM). He assumed this role in 1982, the same year that he received his fourth star, becoming a full general. According to the website of the Fort Leavenworth Hall of Fame, at FORSCOM Cavazos' "early support for the National Training Center and his involvement in the development of the Battle Command Training Program enormously influenced the war fighting capabilities of the U.S. Army." Under his command at FORSCOM, combat troops were deployed to Grenada, West Indies, in 1983. On June 17, 1984, after a brilliant military career that spanned three decades, Cavazos retired with his wife and four children to Texas.
Tupac Amaru Shakur was named after Tupac Amaru II. In his own right, Tupac Shakur was a modern day revolutionary who spoke about societal and minority injustices through his music and speeches.
